Grist: Does Santorum think the pope is a ‘radical environmentalist’?

Rick Santorum presents himself as a devout Catholic, and he certainly holds fast to the church’s line against birth control. But on the issue of climate change, he’s more than happy to stray from the pope’s teachings. Here’s what Santorum had to say at a campaign event on Feb. 6:

“[Climate change is] an absolute travesty of scientific research that was motivated by those who, in my opinion, saw this as an opportunity to create a panic and a crisis for government to be able to step in and even more greatly control your life. … I for one never bought the hoax.”

Pope Benedict XVI has been consistent and clear [PDF] in saying that global leaders need to confront the challenge of climate change. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, also called for climate action, as have many other leaders within the church hierarchy. Last year, the Vatican issued a report warning about the “serious and potentially irreversible impacts of global warming caused by the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases”…

One thought on “Grist: Does Santorum think the pope is a ‘radical environmentalist’?”

The the faithful are only bound by Papal statements that are made ex cathedra, i.e., matters of central doctrine. These statements about climate do not rise to that level. On the other hand, the Vatican has long — ex cathedra — unequivocally denounced the worship of Nature as idolatry, and a mortal sin. How can this be? For starters, check out the First Commandment.